I’ve always been an out-of-the-bottle condiments gal. Not because I don’t like cooking, but mainly because I didn’t know how easy it was! I did about five minutes of research and was in shock! Not only was it possible, but it was a simple process. I mean, really, all you do is mix all ingredients together and simmer! It doesn’t take a gourmet chef to make delicious condiments, you just need a place to start. Here’s inspiration for making your own Ketchup, Mustard, and BQQ Sauce (all of which go great on burgers featuring Tillamook Cheese):

Ketchup
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes
Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients
6 ounces tomato paste
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¹⁄₈ teaspoon allspice

Preparation
In a medium saucepan, whisk together all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to simmer, cover, and cook for 60 minutes. If you don’t have that much time, simmer for at least 30 minutes. Cool completely then chill before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Source: Adapted from Chocolate Moosey

Mustard
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: ½ cup

Ingredients
¼ cup water
4 tablespoons dry ground mustard
3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₈ teaspoon turmeric
¹⁄₈ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sugar

Preparation
In a medium saucepan, whisk together all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil then simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool completely then chill before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Source: Adapted from Chocolate Moosey

BBQ Sauce
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes
Yield: 3½ cups

Ingredients
1 cup ketchup*
1 cup tomato sauce
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup unsulphured molasses
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons hickory flavored liquid smoke
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¹⁄₈ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon celery seed
¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
*If you plan ahead you can use your homemade ketchup from above in this BBQ Sauce!

Preparation
In a large saucepan, over medium heat, mix together all ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you don’t have that much time, simmer for at least 30 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it simmers (and as it cools). Use the sauce to brush onto meats the last ten minutes of grilling or for any other recipe where barbecue sauce is used. Once cooled, store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The sauce can be frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator and use as needed.

Source: Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café

By Laura

Ever since I got my first Easy Bake Oven when I was 7, I’ve loved baking. Be it scones, cake, pies, or cupcakes, I love the art of baking it all. My time on Pinterest has not only inspired some delicious treats, but also made me realize I’ve got to step up my presentation game! I decided it was finally time to create a cake stand. I spent under $5 on each of these stands and can’t deny that they’ve elevated my confections (literally and figuratively)!

Supplies
Plate
Candlestick or drinking glass
Glue

I picked these plates up at my local Goodwill for under $1 each. With a run through the dishwasher, they were clean and good as new at a fraction of the price. For the bases, I used a glass water goblet and a wooden candle stick (which I repainted black).

There are tons of glues on the market, and to my knowledge, a handful of them should do the job. Make sure to read the fine print to see that the glue you pick is right for the materials you’re going to adhere. I recommend using glue that will dry clear and dry quickly. Again, be sure to read the fine print.

Here are my recommendations for bonding various materials together:
• For glass to glass, use Super Glue
• For glass to ceramic, use Super Glue
• For glass to wood, use a multi-purpose glue
• For ceramic to wood, use an epoxy
• For plastic to wood, use an epoxy

To assemble the cake stand, I applied glue to the top of the candlestick (or bottom of the glass) and placed upside down on the back of the plate. The glue I used had a set time of 1 minute, so I held it in place for 1 minute. The cure time was 8 minutes, so after 8 minutes, I flipped it over and it was ready for use!

The possibilities are nearly endless for making your own cake stand. If I had known how easy it would be to put these together, I would have done it years ago!

What combinations will you stick together to display your baked goods!?

For some baking inspiration, check out the Tillamook Pinterest boards!

By Amalya

Birthdays, the Loaf Love Tour hitting the road, Wednesday afternoon – we’ll use any reason to celebrate, as long as cheese is involved! But of course, we need a plate to serve all that cheese on! I saw this DIY platter and thought it would be the perfect way to class up our daily cheese celebrations!

Instead of painting the whole plate with chalkboard paint, I decided to paint a thin strip along the bottom of the platter; I didn’t really like the idea of cheese sitting on chalkboard paint. There are some food safe paint options out there, so make sure to read the label before painting.

I already had the white plate and tape (I recommend painters tape because it peels off easily without leaving a sticky residue), so all I needed was some standard chalkboard paint, chalk, and a disposable paint brush.

Tape off the area you want to paint and apply two coats of chalkboard paint, allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second. Allow it to dry overnight and peel off the tape!

When you’re ready to party; grab a piece of chalk, cut up your favorite cheese varieties (as you can see, I used Colby Jack Cheese, Swiss Cheese Slices, and Medium Cheddar Cheese), and serve!

Share your cheese platters with us on Pinterest!

By Candace

Love is in the air! It’s finally time to start prepping your plans to win over the heart of your secret crush or longtime lover. Here are some ideas to inspire your craftier side and help you give your valentine a homemade sign of your affection.

Flip your average cupcake on its side – but really. Layer a mason jar with pieces of cupcakes and icing for a festive and portable treat! You can even dye white cupcake batter pink and red for an extra pop of color!

Bake a giant cookie and write a little love note on it with icing! You can bake a stick into the back for an easy cookie-gram handoff to your valentine.

Repurpose Tillamook Yogurt and Sour Cream containers into candy carriers. Cover them in felt and fill with your favorite holiday candies!

Still have some Smile Sticks from your last Loaf Love Tour visit? Remove the handle and cut a hole into the middle of the smile for a lollypop! When the kids lick their lollypop, the smile stick will be in perfect position over their mouth! You can cover the back with felt or paper and write a personalized note to your valentine!

Show your loaf love with a festive homemade lunch! You can easily cut sandwiches into hearts using cookie cutters. Sometimes it’s the little things that show you care. Don’t forget some Oregon Strawberry or Raspberry Yogurt for a little pop of pink!

By Amalya

As a huge Tillamook Yogurt lover, I’m consistently faced with an abundance of plastic yogurt cups. I’m a huge supporter of recycling, but an even bigger supporter of repurposing. I’ve been collecting yogurt cups for a few weeks now, without knowing what I would create with them. Twenty yogurt cups later, and after a little time poking around Pinterest, I decided to create a holiday wreath.

Supplies
- Spray paint
- Tillamook Yogurt cups (I used 20, but you could make yours larger or smaller)
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks (I tried super glue, but it didn’t stick to the plastic as well as I’d hoped)
- Extra decorations
- A well-ventilated area to spray paint

Instructions
Clean all yogurt cups first (I ran them through the dishwasher) then spray-paint all cups. I painted the insides first, let them dry overnight, then painted the outsides of the cups. It took two coats of paint to cover the labels and get a good even coat to stick to the smooth plastic.

Lay out all cups in a ring and start hot-gluing them together at points of contact. I glued pairs of cups, then glued two pairs together, etc. until the whole wreath ring was built and connected.

Use hot glue to attach accessories like scented pine cones or fabric flowers onto the outside. I especially liked using cinnamon scented pine cones to help mask the lingering scent of spray paint. When I was done, I sprayed gold glitter spray paint over the whole thing to give it a unified sparkle.

Hang and enjoy!

What holiday crafts will create with your yogurt cups?

Update: You can also paint and decorate your wreath for other holidays. If you don’t have enough additional yogurt cups, you can repurpose your old wreath pretty effortlessly. I tore off the flowers and pine cones from my holiday wreath and repainted it with acrylic paint and a brush for Easter. With a few simple touches like some plastic eggs and felt shapes, you can have your new wreath up and ready to go in no time.

By Amalya